"Whether it's people not actually physically going to the venues and consuming there, consuming in venues around the outlet before that, or indeed having NHL sort of parties at home, all of those occasions have disappeared off the map and you just can't replicate them," CEO Peter Swinburn said in an interview Wednesday.

The impact is more pronounced in Canada than in the United States and has particularly hurt sales of Coors Light and Molson Canadian.

Also because the Coors in Canada tastes better than the Coors in the U.S. (Strange but true fact.)

The most amazing part of Molson Coors' plight? They're going to ask for reparations! From the CP:

Swinburn said that once the lockout ends, Molson Coors will seek financial compensation from the league over the negative impact that a lack of games has had on the hockey league sponsor. "There will be some redress for us as a result of this. I can't quantify that and I don't know because I don't know the scale of how long the lockout is going to last."

Boy, bet Labatt would have let the NHL off without asking for redress …

Seriously, though, the lockout's impact goes beyond beer sales. It's affecting local bars and pubs, which are seeing a significant decline in business. So while we won't tell you what beer to drink — that's a life-altering decision that's up to you and your vendor of choice — we will encourage you to patronize your local pub on what would have been a game night. Because they're hurting.